O’Brien expecting Minnie Hauk to make her mark this year

Minnie Hauk has Royal Ascot’s Prince of Wales’s Stakes as a potential early-season target this year after her fine campaign in 2025.

Beaten just a head by Daryz in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe having already won three Group Ones, she ended her year at the Breeders’ Cup.

However, trainer Aidan O’Brien said in hindsight that was probably one run too many for the filly.

“Minnie Hauk will be trained for the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and have a run before it and then she might go to Ascot for the mile-and-a-quarter race (Prince of Wales’s),” he said.

“She might start off in the Mooresbridge, something like that. She might be the one the Prince of Wales’s will suit the most, but obviously she’ll have the Coronation (Cup) as a possible, too.

“I think all roads lead back to the Arc with her. In hindsight maybe I should have finished her after the Arc last year as she was only a three-year-old filly.

“There’ll be other three-year-olds coming along this year so it will depend on how they fare. She’s stronger this year, twice as wide and is in great order, we’re not rushing her but everything she’s doing is lovely.”

An unexposed older horse at Ballydoyle is Twain, a Group One winner in France at two who missed the whole of his Classic season.

“Twain is back in good order, it was probably the biggest disappointment of last year that I couldn’t get him right and he missed the whole year, a lot of niggly little things,” said O’Brien.

“Everything is going right so far and we are thinking of the Newbury race (Lockinge) and one run before it. I’d say he’s a miler. He’s not slow, he might get further looking at his pedigree.”

Last year’s dual Derby winner Lambourn has a return to Epsom on his agenda where he could be joined by some stablemates.

“We’re very happy with Lambourn, we’re going to train him for the Coronation (Cup) and give him a run before, possibly in the Mooresbridge, something like that,” said O’Brien.

“Jan Brueghel is there as well. He could go back for the Coronation and have a run before it. The Coronation has a different look to it this year, it’s worth a lot more.”

With Kyprios no longer on the scene, Scandinavia looks his likely heir to the staying throne.

“Scandinavia will go the staying route. He was in a race in Dubai, but I’d imagine he might not go at the moment. He’ll probably start in the Saval Beg. He’s a big, long-striding horse so what we’re thinking is the Saval Beg and Vintage Crop route (to the Gold Cup),” said O’Brien.

Precise was a dual Group One-winning juvenile for the yard last season but she was denied her moment on the world stage at the Breeders’ Cup when picking up an infection.

“I thought Precise was a penalty kick at the Breeders’ Cup!” said O’Brien. “Everyone says she won’t stay, but my instinct is she’s an incredible filly.

“I think she’ll go to the Guineas and I think she’ll go to the Oaks after that. I could be totally wrong, we’ve only trained a few Starspangledbanners, but everything she does suggests she will stay.

“I was very impressed in the Fillies’ Mile, she coasted through the last furlong. I really thought all she had to do was canter round in America, but she picked up an infection over there and couldn’t run. But for her mind the travelling will have done her good. I’d imagine she’ll go straight to the Guineas.”

O’Brien’s other leading three-year-old filly, Diamond Necklace, looks set to return to France.

He said: “Diamond Necklace is very like her dad (St Mark’s Basilica), she’s made great progress. She’s very strong, very natural and takes no training. She’s doing the same as him.

“We were surprised at what she did, we couldn’t wait to get her finished. She’s very natural and very quick. Christophe (Soumillon) was always besotted by her.

“I think the lads are thinking that Diamond Necklace might go to France and Precise might go to Newmarket.”